Best Rum Selection (2012)

As cocktail culture ramped up in Colorado and many spots started focusing on gin-and-housemade-tonic or drinks that were brown, bitter and stirred, Café Brazil decided to give drinkers a place where they could learn about sugarcane spirits, so they added a beach-themed Rum Room. The best education is delivered in the rum flights, lineups that each showcase four of the spot's 75 offerings. For an understanding of what aging does to alcohol, try the Flor de Cana flight, which offers a side-by-side comparison of the same Nicaraguan rum aged four, five, seven and twelve years. Or experience how four different countries make rum with the South American flight, which includes selections from Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Our favorite could be the Añejo flight, four heady samples of stuff aged at least 21 years, basking in their vanilla-caramel glory and so smooth you could be sipping nice bourbon. If you're not ready to try your rum neat, Cafe Brazil makes great versions of Caribbean cocktails, including the Brazilian caipirinha, a sexy sweet mojito and batidas — icy fruit juice disguising the spirit so well that it's almost impossible not to suck down the drink much too fast. And if you're really into rum, make sure to ask about special offerings not on the list: The Rum Room keeps some rare stuff on a back shelf for true fans.